He loves me, he loves me not
by ShadowedBelief
Summary: '"What do you want?" Sarah asked after a moment, quietly. In his presence she felt like a fifteen year old girl again. Powerless, and fly in his web. "I want you to make a choice."' Jareth returns with the intention of stealing back Sarah, only to find-
1. Little Dreamer

**Hehe.. I know I have others going on, but I couldn't resist. I just had this idea and thought, why not? :D**

**'"What do you want?" Sarah asked after a moment, quietly. In his presence she felt like a fifteen year old girl again. Powerless, and fly in his web. **

**"I want you to make a choice."' **

**Jareth returns with the intention of stealing back Sarah, only to find that she is married with two children. But what will she do when he makes her choose between her family and her dreams?**

**I had to put that there because I ran out of room. :)**

Jareth watched the sleeping figure in the bed. A child of fourteen with blond hair, pixie cut to show off the piercings in her ears. He smirked briefly then paused. He hadn't realised that so long had passed. Sarah was a grown woman now with two children of her own; the sleeping girl before him, and a young boy of 6. She had married some actor she had met and settled down. She deserved better than the man she had, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

_If I cannot have Sarah then I will take you little girl._ His smirk returned. _When the time is right._

He glanced about the room. It was the same one he had been in all those years ago, when Sarah had made her wish that Toby been taken away. He reached out to touch the sleeping figure and she rolled towards him unconsciously. He drew back, surprised. But he need not have worried, she was still asleep.

"Jareth?" He looked up and took a step back. Sarah looked from him to her child and dread filled her. "You wouldn't..." She murmered weakly.

"Not today Sarah. But I will be back." He smirked again and disappeared, leaving Sarah more than a little worried. She went to the edge of the bed and smoothed the hair from her firstborns forehead. Her fringe was longer than the rest of her hair (which was probably about an inch long). Taylor had insisted upon having it cut that short, but Sarah had never understood why. But she didn't mind. Taylor was growing up to be as strong willed as she herself had always been. And tomorrow she would be fifteen. Sarah smiled, Jareth's untimely appearance forgotten. For the moment.


	2. Disjointed Memories

Taylor rolled over in bed to slap at her alarm clock. Just her luck that she had to go to school on her birthday. She sat up and indulged in a yawn, before she reached for her jeans and black and red checked shirt. She pulled them on tiredly then stood and stretched. School on her birthday. She made a noise of disgust then dropped to the floor to find her homework. Generally it ended up under the bed. For reasons unknown to her, all her homework ended up under her bed. Murmuring curses she rummaged her most recent piece of physics homework from under her bed then pushed herself up off the floor. As she did a glimmer on glass caught her eye from on her bedside table. She paused, surprised. All the things she had in her room relate to some fairy tale or another, a taste in ornaments she had inherited from her mother but had yet to outgrow, but she owned no crystal balls. Of that she was sure. She'd never been interested in fortune telling. The rather sensible side to her that she wouldn't admit to. She frowned and picked it up, tossing it up in the air automatically and catching it. She passed it from hand to hand, revelling in the smoothness of it. Even glass balls tended to have chips or cracks in them, this simply didn't. It was like a bubble blown carefully and hardened to glass. As she admired it a scene played out before her eyes. Her eyes widened, and only her curiosity prevented her from dropping the spherical object. All it showed was disjointed pictures, but Taylor was fascinated. A violet sky spattered with silver stars, a twisting maze that had no apparent end, a rather run down city at the heart of which stood a castle. The image seemed to fly closer to the castle, and in one of the window Taylor saw a young man with white blond hair. It stuck up at various odd angles in a style that on anyone else would have looked strange and out of place but suited him. He was sat on the window ledge, one booted leg dangling out of the window.

_If only he'd look up.._ Taylor dropped the crystal surprise as he looked up and met her eyes. _He heard me? But... That's not possible._

She stooped to pick up the bauble, but when she looked at it again it wouldn't replay the scenes for her. She was slightly disappointed but she shoved it in her satchel. She was late as it was.

"Oh Shnit! I'm late!" The thought had been random, but she truley was late. She grabbed her boots as she shot out of her bedroom door, and across the hall, dodging the dog as she went.

"Abraham! Stay out from under my feet!" She reprimanded as she ran. Merlin, her mothers old dog had died the year before from old age, and her father had bought a puppy to replace him. Her mother hadn't wanted it and the puppy, dubbed Abraham, had become Taylor's by default. Despite her almost continually yelling at the poor dog, Abraham preferred Taylor over everyone else in the family. Taylor swung herself down the last two steps using the banister then ran down the hall to the kitchen. She needed to grab something she could eat as she ran to catch the bus before it left. Preferably an apple or something. The thought of toast made her stomach churn.

"Taylor? Are you still here?" Her mother called

"Not for long." She called back. "I'm just getting something for breakfast!" She swept her gaze over the room, her eyes landing on the fruit bowl almost immediately. "I thought mum said she didn't buy peaches.." She shrugged and picked it up. "Bye mum!"

"Wait! Taylor wait!"

"I'm late for the bus mum!"

"I know." Sarah appeared in the doorway. "I just wanted to wish you happy birthday."

Taylor smiled.

"Thanks mum." She kissed her mum quickly then legged it towards the door.

"Taylor.. Taylor where did you get that from?" Taylor stopped and turned to her mum.

"From the fruit bowl."

"But.. I don't buy peaches.. You know that."

Taylor just shrugged and left the room, biting the peach as she went. She didn't have time to worry about where the fruit had come from. She was really late for school.

* * *

Sarah was worried.

"Stay away from my daughter Jareth. Stay the hell away from her!"

"You were warned that I would come for her some day. The time is coming Sarah."

Sarah shook the voice from her head. She wouldn't let that bastard take her daughter. She wouldn't.

* * *

Jareth sighed. So far his plan was going well, but Sarah was being so difficult. A trait he ought to have remembered. She'd shown it enough times when she'd run the Labyrinth. He twisted the crystal ball in his hand, watching as the blond girl caught a bus and sat next to another girl, a smiling brunette. Whether Sarah wanted to admit it or not, Jareth would have his way this time. Taylor would be his. But his plan would take time. But he had time.


	3. Jealously Guarded

**Peehee. I've noticed that I forgot to put a disclaimer in the last two so here it is.**

**I don't own The Labyrinth, Jareth, Sarah, Toby or any of the other characters from the film. I do however have ownership of Sarah's husband (Carl) , Bunny, Zachary and Taylor. But I don't think anyone would want them so that's okay. :)**

**Enjoy.**

"Taylor!" Taylor glanced around the bus, looking for the girl who had called her name. It didn't take her long to find her.

"Bunny!" She grinned and threw herself into the seat next to her best friend and gave the redhead a hug. "I couldn't find you this morning."

It wasn't a question really, but Bunny understood the thoughts behind it.

"Dentist appointment." Bunny grabbed her own neck and crossed her eyes. Taylor laughed. Bunny grinned back at her. "Will I get thoroughly chewed out tomorrow birthday girl?"

"Nah. You didn't miss anything important, they've postponed the presentations untill monday, and there's no homework for you to do. Look at what I found in my room this morning. I could swear it wasn't there before." Taylor rooted around in her bag and pulled out the glass ball. "It was so strange."

Bunny held out her hand for the ball and Taylor handed it over willingly enough. Bunny was the only person she would trust with her life. Even her mother didn't have that from her. She watched as Bunny turned the sphere over in her hands.

"Well it's pretty.. But I don't understand why it's strange."

Taylor opted not to tell her about the man she had seen. Even Bunny would think that was strange, and when Bunny thought something was strange you needed to be worried. Her parents were the King and Queen of strange.

"Just that it turned up in my room. Mum and dad don't go in my room. Ever. Mum was totally OCD when she was my age and she trusts me to keep my own room tidy. Dad just goes along with whatever she says."

"And Zach?"

"He daren't go in my room. I told him there were Goblins under my bed." She grinned.

"You would. Your mother tells you far to many stories about Goblins."

Taylor stuck her tongue out at Bunny then sat back in a mock huff. Bunny just laughed at her.

* * *

Jareth tilted his head to one side. He felt a strange, sudden pang of jealousy as he watched the two conversing girls, but he brushed the feeling aside. Taylor was proving to be quite an interesting girl. He wondered briefly if Sarah knew just how little her daughter ate, then brushed that thought away too. He laughed briefly at her method of keeping her brother out of her room. Even if the 'monsters under the bed' trick was tried and tested he had no doubt that it was effective. He smiled then popped the magic bubble. Ideally he should stop spying on her, but he couldn't help himself. Unfortunately, it meant that he was getting impatient. He frowned. Taylor had called to him when she had seen him in the crystal. He hadn't meant to react, but the call had been so strong and so unexpected that he hadn't thought about it.

"Damnation.." He growled, kicking an unsuspecting goblin. It squealed as it sailed through the air and he shook his head. Boredom was beginning to set in, and it was never a good thing when the Goblin King got bored.

* * *

"So what are you doing tonight?" Bunny asked. Taylor shrugged.

"Family party I guess." She pulled a face. "Mum will want me to suffer through Karens company, at least for a little while. Tomorrows the non family party." She grinned. "Hopefully that will be better."

"Couldn't be much worse.."

Taylor looked across at her friend, shocked. Bunny gazed back at her, nonplussed.

"What? I'm not allowed to be honest? I really don't like Karen!"

Taylor began to laugh. She didn't like Karen either, and it was obvious that her mother despised the woman, but her grandfather refused to come unless the invitation was extended to Karen as well. But Bunny was never so outspoken. She generally preferred to skirt around topics. She shook her head.

"So what are we going to do tomorrow?" She asked, changing to a more favourable topic.

"Not a clue. You haven't decided?"

"Nope. I prefer to be spontaneous.. But I'm going to need some kind of ground work or else it will be chaos."

"Touche." Bunny pulled on a lock of her red hair. "Um.. we could go to the mall?"

"Mmm.. Do you think Jason would go for that? He's not a very mall type person is he?"

"No, but we don't have to stay there. We could eat there then do something else." Bunny stopped messing with her hair and grinned. "Lookie lookie Taylor."

Taylor grimaced. Bunny only ever acted like that around one person. Derek. Taylor screwed up her nose as he swaggered onto the bus then made a show of sitting just across from her and Bunny. She grabbed Bunny's shoulder and pulled her towards the door of the bus.

"Oi! Hey! My house is miles from here!" Bunny objected.

"You live two blocks from me.."

"Yes. And your house is three blocks from here!" Bunny huffed as the bus drove away.

"I'll get my dad to give you a lift home okay?" Taylor said, rather hopefully. Bunny rolled her eyes and grinned.

"Kay."


	4. Lets play happy families

"Dad? Dad you there?"

"He's not in right now Taylor. He phoned to say he'd be a bit late home." Taylor winced at the sound of Karens voice. Beside her, so did Bunny.

"I guess your staying for a bit Bunny." She whispered to her friend. Bunny stuck out her tongue and Taylor laughed. "Stop it. She's not that bad. Usually."

"Oh.. You brought a friend?" Karen appeared at the door of the kitchen, towelling her hands dry. "Is.. is she staying?"

"Not bloody likely." Bunny whispered under her breath. Taylor choked back a laugh.

"No gran she isn't. That's why I asked if Dad was around. I was going to ask if he could drive Bunny home." Taylor saw the flash of annoyance in Karens face when she called her 'gran' and almost grinned. She was too easy to annoy.

"You know you can just call me Karen dear."

Taylor heard the half command in her voice and her jaw tightened automatically. She hated being told what to do. Her mum never bothered to make her do things, she just asked her to. Taylor always did the things for her, but the point was that her mother always asked.

"Will you let me know when dad gets back?" Taylor asked. Karen nodded and Taylor motioned to Bunny to come up the stairs with her. She ushered Bunny into her room then leant against the door, shutting it quite effectively. "Damned woman. And I have to spend the whole of tonight pretending I give a flying-"

"Taylor." Bunny interrupted. Taylor smiled sheepishly

"Hehe.. Sorry Bunny."

"No it's not that. Quite frankly I couldn't care less what you say about her.. But what is that?" Taylor looked over in the direction her friend was pointing and grimaced.

"It's my birthday dress I guess. Now you know why I don't like these little get togethers. How would you like to wear that?"

"I'd love it!" Bunny breathed, moving to get a closer look. Her fingers brushed over the fabric and her eyes widened. "Ohmigod.. Taylor that's satin I think."

Taylors brow furrowed. Satin? That wasn't the type of thing her mother would buy her. Not even for her birthday. She picked it up carefully and held it against herself.

"Oh come on Taylor. We both know you're dying to try it on." Bunny grinned. Taylor rolled her eyes. But she nodded in resignation. "Well.. Ok." She grinned. "Help me?"

Bunny nodded and soon she was in the dress. She had to admit.. It was beautiful. It was royal blue and halter necked and relatively well fitted until it reached her hips and then it flared out slightly. The skirt was made up of three layers. The bottom layer was dark and studded with glass diamonds, the middle layer was sheer and lighter blue, whilst the top layer was darker and translucent. It truly was beautiful. And it suited her. Even though her hair was short.

"Are you going to keep it on?" Bunny asked. Taylor nodded.

"Yes.." She murmured running her hands over the dress. Bunny grinned at her.

"Well come on. Go tell your gran you love it." Bunny began trying to steer Taylor towards the bedroom door.

"Wait. Bunny hang on!" Taylor dug her heels into the carpet. "Can you help me do my makeup?"

Bunny scrunched up her nose and Taylor laughed. Bunny hated doing her own makeup, so realistically the chances of her helping Taylor were slim to none.

"Ok.. Maybe not. But I do need to do it so.."

* * *

"Taylor? Taylor can I come in?" Taylor had just finished applying lip gloss and laughing at the look of astute boredom on Bunny's face when her father knocked on the door.

"Yeah dad." Taylor replied, brushing her fringe out of her eyes then turning towards the door.

"Karen said you were asking for me?"

"Oh.. Yeah, Bunny kinda needs a lift home." Taylor motioned to the window where it had just recently started up raining. Her father nodded knowingly.

"Karen being intolerable again?" He asked with a smile. Taylor shrugged and he laughed. "Come on Bunny. Do your parents know where you are?"

"Yes Mr Williams. I phoned them a little while ago." Bunny smiled.

"Bunny you can call me Carl you know."

"She's star struck dad." Taylor laughed at the glare Bunny sent her way. It was no secret that Bunny had spent a good portion of her thirteenth and fourteenth years madly in love with Taylors dad. It was one of the reasons Bunny had first wanted to be Taylors friend. But as the two grew closer the crush was forgotten. For the most part anyway.

"Come on T. You can see me home and thank your g.. Karen for the dress in one go." Bunny grabbed Taylors arm and hauled her out of the room and down the stairs.

"Mind the dress!" Taylor yelped, but Bunny ignored her. Again.

* * *

Jareth smiled as he watched Taylor applying make-up and generally primping, noting that she was careful to avoid dropping anything on it. He just hoped that Sarah realised whom the dress was from. Not because he wanted to cause Taylor problems, though that would effectively set up a divide between her and Sarah and bring Taylor to him easier, he simply wanted to worry Sarah. He couldn't wait to see how this played out.

* * *

"Oh.. hey Bunny. I didn't realise you were still here. Where's Taylor?"

"She's falling down the stairs." Bunny grinned. "I'm just leaving. Mr Williams has offered to give me a lift home."

"Made it!" Taylor stumbled into the room with the type bright grin on her face that only she could manage after nearly breaking her neck.

"I wish you'd told me you were going to get your own dress this year Taylor. I wouldn't have bothered getting one." Karen sounded annoyed and vaguely hurt . Taylor was surprised. Then again, she should have known that her grandmother didn't have taste this good.

"I assumed this was the one you'd bought me. You're the only person who ever goes in my room uninvited."

Karen turned and walked into the kitchen. Taylor glared after her. She despised that woman with a passion, but no matter how ofter she expressed her annoyance at Karen entering her room unannounced and without permission but she just never listened.

"Taylor.. Where **did** you get that?"

Taylor turned to her mum surprised.

"So.. Not you either then? In that case I don't know. It was in my room."

"Taylor.. Go and take it off. Put something else on."

"Why? I like it. It's the only birthday dress I've had that I will actually wear of my own free will." Normally her mother understood her dislike of Karen, but today she seemed adamant not to.

"Please go take it off."

"But mum-."

"Go take it off!" Sarah snapped. Taylor raised her chin in defiance.

"Tell me why and I will."

"You don't know where it came from. No-one knows where it came from. Please go take it off." Taylor sighed.

"Okay. But I'm keeping it. I'll put it in the back of my wardrobe where you can't see it if I really have to but I'm keeping it."

"Okay. Thank you."

"I'll be right back Bunny."

**Compromise reached :). For anyone who's confused, yes the incident with Jareth in Taylors bedroom was a year ago. I did mean to say but I completely forgot. Hehe. Also if you want to see the dress that inspired Taylors, please see my profile.  
**


	5. A visitor

**Sorry! I'm so sorry this is really late. I'll try to do better next time. **

**Don't own Labyrinth, even if I wish I did.  
**

Taylor slammed the plate down on the sideboard and moved to dry another. How could her mum _still_ be annoyed with her? She'd remained calm after Taylor had come back from dropping Bunny off, then completely lost it the next morning.

_"How could you play up in front of Karen like that? When I ask you to do something I expect you to do it!" She'd yelled. Taylor had reacted automatically._

_"Then go buy a god damned slave!"_

_Her mother had stopped yelling in surprise then stormed out and slammed the door behind her._

Ten minutes later Taylor was still drying up and her mother had disappeared upstairs to blitz the bedrooms. The upstairs would be pristine. All except Taylor's by principle. But it didn't make sense. They'd reached a compromise and Taylor had taken it off. Karen must have said something. She slammed down another plate, no longer particularly annoyed, but it felt good. Taylor was just glad her mother hadn't tried to ground her. That would have been awkward. Bunny was coming to pick her up soon. There was a knock on the front door, as if cued by her thoughts. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It couldn't be Bunny. She'd have to be on time for that. That prospect was intensely funny to Taylor and she chuckled. Bunny, on time.

"Yeah, cause THATS ever gonna happen." She shook her head and went to answer the door. Bunny was coming to meet her and then they were going to meet their friends at the mall. The family party hadn't been great, but then again, it never was. Taylor had retired to bed as soon as possible, and she still didn't understand why her mother didn't like her dress. There was another knock on the door and Taylor sighed.

"I'm coming keep your socks on!" She opened the door just as their visitor was readying himself to knock again.

"Hello." He smiled at her and she blinked.

"Oh." Definitely not Bunny. Far too... Male..

"I'm not who you were expecting?" He laughed. "Sorry if I'm a disappointment."

"No.. Just a surprise." Taylor was awestruck by the man stood in the door way. He seemed to fill the house just by being in the general vicinity. His hair was moonlight blond and stuck up in all different directions at the top. Why was that familiar? She couldn't remember. She stepped back to allow him access to the house. "You're looking for my mum I suppose?"

"Sarah. Yes." He gave her a calculating look, one she met with a cool look of her own. He was intimidating, but that did not mean she would be intimidated.

"Well? Come in."

"Didn't Sarah teach you not to let strangers into the house?"

"She gave up. She used to have so many people in here everyday it was a waste of time."

"That doesn't sound safe." He observed.

"I only invite them in if they ask after mum and she's in"

"And your father?"

"He's always at work. If they wanted him they'd go there. Besides, there's always Abraham. He can be evil."

"Abraham?"

"The dog. He'll lick you to death given the chance. Are you coming in or not?"

"Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh! I'm so so sorry I'm late Taylor!" Bunny yelled as she ran up the drive. Sarah's visitor stepped neatly out of the way and Bunny ran straight into Taylor. "I forgot my phone. Then I couldn't find my coat. Then my mum wanted me to peg the washing out. Then, I was coming down the road and I met this really really cute guy and we were talking and he asked if you're mum still lived where she'd always lived, and I said yes, i thought so, and he said thank you and I realised I'd forgotten my purse and-"

"BUNNY!" Taylor yelled. "You had coffee this morning didn't you?"

"Yepsy. It's this stuff my mum bought. It's got this foamy stuff on the top and it's really good but it needs lots of sugar or it tastes awful and.. OH! You've met that really cute guy I met! Oh.." A blush coloured Bunny's cheeks. "Oops.."

Taylor giggled.

"I'm sure he won't think any worse of you. You and caffeine just don't mix."

"Ooh ooh ooh! Im a monkey. No seriously. Jason said he'll meet us at the coffee shop just outside the mall at half past ten."

"Bunny! That's in ten minutes."

"So go go go go go!" She pushed Taylor in the direction of the stairs. Taylor batted her away.

"Okay okay I'm going. I'll tell mum you're here. What's your name?"

"Jareth."

"Okay." Taylor ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time, the way her mother often told her not to. But then, Taylor rarely listened to what her mother said unless it was really important. She grabbed her denim jacket from the hook behind her bedroom door and sprinted down the hall to Zachary's room. Nope, still a nuke site. Sarah hadn't been there yet. "Mum?"

"In here Taylor. Did Bunny arrive then?" Taylor approached her mothers room cautiously. She was far to calm for Taylor's liking, considering the argument they'd just had.

"Uh.. Yeah. She's a little hyped up on coffee." Taylor grimaced, last time this happened Bunny had been a nightmare. She was fun when she was 'sober' as she called it, but when she was hyper there was no knowing what she'd get up to. "And there's a guy to see you." She turned and wandered back down the hall. She was halfway down the stairs before her mother yelled to her:

"Did he give you his name?"

"Yeah, Jareth." She bounced down the stairs, not pausing to look and see why her mother had suddenly gone deathly silent. She grabbed Bunny's hand as she went and yelled back to the guy in the doorway. "My mum will be down in a sec. She's just a bit busy. I'll see you if you're still here when I get back."


	6. A Choice

**Oh My Gods. Thank you so much Niphuria. I owe her credit for most of this chapter. Thanks so much for the help I really appreciate it. :). I've also made a few adjustments to the previous chapters. I decided Mafsarhet was right. Jareth may be interested in someone who's strong willed and determined, but he'd never be interested in a brat. And lets be honest, she was turning into a brat. Thanks again to all who are reading. I really do appreciate your reviews so please, please review. Please?**

Sarah crept slowly across the landing. She was so shocked she barley felt her feet take the steps.

"Sarah." Jareth practically purred as she came down the stairs. Jareth, perfectly composed and as handsome as ever, inside the door politely waiting for her. Sarah flinched and Jareth frowned and reached towards her. "Am I really that scary Sarah?"

Sarah dodged his hands and declined him an answer choosing instead to sit down on the steps.

"What do you want?" Sarah asked after a moment, quietly. In his presence she felt like a fifteen year old girl again. Powerless, and fly in his web.

"I want you to make a choice."

Sarah looked up at him warily. As far as she remembered from the Labyrinth, she would have to be very careful what choice she made. The wrong one could land her in serious trouble.

"What choice?"

"Come back with me. Be my queen. Forget them."

"No Jareth. I can't." The words left her mouth before she'd even considered them.

"Be careful Sarah. You don't know what the second choice is."

"I don't care. I'm not coming with you! I have a family now. A family I care for very much. A husband I love," She allowed her self a small amount of joy at the look of sadness that crossed Jareth's features. "And two wonderful children. I'm not going to give that up for anything. Not even you."

She had a sudden longing to hug him, show him she didn't harbour any hatred for him. She didn't trust him, but untill he'd started sending Taylor gifts she hadn't had anything against him. Then he dropped the second choice.

"You do love to be difficult don't you Sarah? You haven't changed. Second choice: Taylor will run the labyrinth."

"You can't do that. You can't make her." Panic filled Sarah. She knew just how steep the price would be if Taylor failed to complete the Labyrinth.

"True. But I can make her want to."

* * *

"Taylor. Anyone in there?" Bunny poked her friend in the ribs

"Hmm? Oh hey. Yeah I'm ok. Just thinking. Did that guy seem familiar to you?"

"Which guy?" Bunny poked her ice-cream with her spoon.

"Yeah, because you know so many guys." Bunny stuck her tongue out at her and Taylor pulled a face. "Ew! Bunny thats gross. Couldn't you have swallowed?"

"Sorry. You mean that blond hottie right?"

"Yes." Taylor shook her head. Typical Bunny. Honest to an impossible extreme. When it came to guys anyway.

"Not particularly. Why?"

"No reason.. But I'm sure Ive seen him somewhere before."

"Deja vu." Bunny teased. "Oh hey, this is yours isn't it?" She held out the crystal Taylor had shown her the day before. "I forgot to give it back."

Taylor took it and stared at it for a moment. Then she snapped her fingers.

"Thank you! I'll be right back ok?" She hugged Bunny and practically ran out of the coffee shop.

"Hey! Jason will be here soon!" But Taylor was already gone. "Fine, bye" Bunny shook her head.

"Say, isn't running off usually your job Bunny?"

"Oh, hey Jason. Yeah. I don't know whats gotten into her. She doesn't normally run off during a party. Ive no doubt she'll tell me tomorrow though. Or whenever she gets back."

"Party's postponed then?"

"I guess so.."

* * *

"Mum! Mum are you there?"

"Sarah's not here Taylor. Maybe I can help you." Taylor jumped. The guy from her crystal ball was stood in the living room doorway, leaning against it. She was still in awe of how.. well, gorgeous he was. There was no other word for it if she was honest. He had an ethereal quality she had only just begun to notice and he seemed to glitter.

"Where's my mum?" Annoyed with herself for being momentarily toungue tied, she snapped at him.

"She's safe."

"Jareth.. Isn't that what you said your name is?"

"Yes."

"Well Jareth. How about you answer my question?"

"She's in my castle." Taylor caught the nonchalance and glared at him.

"Bring her back."

"Why would I do that? She's my leverage. Why aren't you scared of me little girl?"

"You were the one in my crystal. Is that where you mean when you say your castle?" She tactfully ignored the comment on her age.

"Yes.." Jareth was stunned, this girl honestly wasn't afraid of him, in any way what so ever. But he had his suspicions that she was mostly working on anger that he'd taken her mother. His signature smirk slid onto his face. "Shall we play a game Taylor?"

She took a step forwards, showing that she was willing to rise to any challenge he could offer.

"Will I get my mother back?"

"If you win, yes." He held out another crystal and Taylor went to him warily. This crystal showed the maze again, and then it didn't. Instead it showed Sarah.

"Mum!" But she was obviously safe. If slightly annoyed from the look on her face. Taylor smiled in relief. Jareth withdrew his hand.

"She is safe. And she will remain so. Will you play my game?"

"If I win I get my mother back yes?"

"Yes."

"If I lose?"

"If you lose you have to stay with me in the underground. Your mother will return here with no memory of you."

"I'd better not lose then."

Jareth smiled.

"Indeed. Now excuse me, I must be seeing to my guest. You must find your way to the castle beyond the goblin city through my Labyrinth in thirteen hours or you will never see your mother again."

How strange.. Taylor could have sworn they had been in her living room not two seconds ago. She turned to ask how he'd moved them, but he wasn't there. How strange.


	7. Ow

**Sorry. My imagination dropped dead due to pressure from homework. So you may not get another one of these for a while. Sorry.**

Taylor turned and looked down on the maze winding before her. Jareth had called it a.. The.. Labyrinth. The view from her present hadn't done it's expanse justice. It spread far beyond her vision, she had to turn her head to see it all, and made her head hurt.

"Wow.." She murmered. The first part of the labyrinth appeared to be stone, the second was hedges. Either that or someone had gone a bit nuts with the green paint. Past that was a forest. She couldn't see much past that apart from the castle.

"Thats where I need to go then.." she decided. "That's a long way.."

A wave of hopelessness washed over her as she stared at the landscape spread before her. There was no way she could possibly get to the castle before her thirteen hours was up. No way in hell. But she had to try. She shook her head fiercely and took a tentative step forward. Then tripped and slid down the hill Jareth had dropped her on.

"Ow.." She muttered picking herself up out of the dirt and brushing herself off. No grass stains, she noted with vague happiness. "Not that there's a single bit of healthy grass within a six mile radius of this place." she muttered.

She dusted the remaining sand off her knees then looked up. The Labyrinth walls hadn't seemed so big from the hill, but now she was closer she realised that they stood at roughly twice her size. She also realised that there didn't seem to be a way _in_.

"Oh come on.. Even Theseus could get into the Cretan Labyrinth. And lets face it. He wasn't the brightest bulb in the box."

* * *

Sarah looked out onto the Labyrinth, her view the opposite of her daughters.

"Sarah? I brought you a gift." Sarah sighed and turned to Jareth. He smirked and produced a crystal.

"My dreams again? I'd always thought you'd know when to quit."

"You're expectations of me haven't changed then?"

"Not hardly." Jareth shook his head sadly.

"I thought you might like to see how your daughter is faring. But if that is not the case.." He made to pull the crystal away. Sarah glared at him and made a grab for it. "I thought as much."

He twirled it on the end of his finger then handed it to her.

"Just tell it what you wish to see and it will show you. But be warned that the crystal will only work for short periods of time, six minutes at the most, and then it will have to be recharged." He caught the confused look on Sarah's face. "Meaning you'll have to put it down and leave it alone." Sarah nodded, and Jareth motioned for her to test the crystal.

"Taylor." Sarah murmered. The bauble went smoky for a moment, then rearranged itself to show Taylor examining a wall. "Where's Hoggle Jareth?" She asked, not moving her eyes from her daughter. The fairy exterminating dwarf had been on gate duty when Sarah had been there.

"I removed him and your other friends from the labyrinth for the duration of this game. I want to see if your daughter can do as you did without cheating."

"I didn't cheat!" Sarah snapped

"You convinced Hogwart to help you, as well as Didymus and Ludo. You cheated."

_"Hoggle! _And you're the one who kept changing the rules not me!" Sarah glared at him over the crystal then turned her attention back to Taylor, who appeared to have gotten into the maze all on her own.

* * *

"Oh for petes sake." Taylor muttered. She'd long since managed to find a section of the wall that looked like it should open, it even had hinges for crying out loud, but no matter how hard she pushed or pulled the doors would _not _budge. She glared at it for a moment then gave up. "Would you please just open? I-" To her surprise the doors swung inwards to allow her entrance. "Wow.. That was easy.. easier than expected anyway." She stepped through the doorway and into the labyrinth. After taking a cursory glance around to make sure nothing was about to leapout and bite her, she moved further in and looked harder. This part of the maze was split two ways. Left and right, and that was it. So which way?

"Eeny meeny miney mo. Left." She shrugged. Left was as good a right. After all, it hardly mattered. So she went left, tapping the wall as she went. Something in the back of her mind was stirring, stories told when she was too young to remember, to understand.

_You cant take anything for granted.._ Taylor stopped and frowned, then shook her head. Why would bedtime stories come back to haunt her now?

She would have continued to puzzle this over had she not put her foot _through_ a wall in a fit of anger at not getting anywhere. She lost her balance and fell over, landing on the bum on the dusty floor.

_"Can't take anything for granted"... Is that referring to here? _She wondered, staring up at the apparently non-existent wall. "How on earth does that work? Its definitely.." She stood and pressed her palms flat against the area that appeared to be wall, pushed, and promptly fell forward through the gap. "Ow.. not there."

* * *

The crystal clouded over again and Sarah cursed and shook it.

"I warned you Sarah. They are very short term. But give it an hour or so and it will work once again." Jareth smiled "Taylor is very.. lucky. Not many make it even that far without help. More than half have spent the whole thirteen hours running in the same direction.. But then.."

"If you call me a cheater one more time I swear!" Sarah glared at him and he laughed.

"I'll be back in a while. I do believe i failed to tell your dear daughter how long she had to complete the labyrinth."

"Jareth.." Sarah caught his arm as he turned away and he turned to look at her, confused.

"Yes?"

"If you hurt my daughter.."

"I won't Sarah. I'm not a monster." And he disappeared from the room.

* * *

**Please review**


	8. Confused?

**OMG! I'm uber uber sorry. My muse commited suicide and I've been so so so so stuck it's insane. My other fic is just as dead, cept I've STILL got no inspiration for it. This is killing meeee. Okies. Chapter EIGHT! Little bit of Background here 4 you, so review because you love me, because I love you :D. **

Taylor was very confused. Not to mention lost.

"Gods this is confusing. It's like.. The maze is _moving!_ That's-!"

"Not fair?" Taylor jumped at the sound of Jareths voice behind her and turned to glare at him.

"Jesus! Don't do that! And no, I wasn't going to say it's not fair. I was going to say bizarre."

"Really?" Jareth obviously didn't believe her. She glared at him.

"No. Nor will I say it to amuse you. Do you have something you want from me? Or are you just here to play games? Because I'm busy getting lost thanks to your maze deciding it doesn't like me."

"I came to tell you that you've used up three hours of your thirteen. Though.. I forgot to mention you had thirteen to begin with. No matter."

"No you told me." Taylor retorted. Then she frowned... "I'm sure you did... Wait.. Three hours? I've only been in here ten minutes!"

"You could just concede defeat."

"No!" She snapped. "If that's all the help you're going to be you can just go back where ever you came from." She turned to storm off down the path in the direction she'd been going before being interrupted. She promptly crashed into Jareths semi bare chest and fell to the floor on her bum. "What was that for? And how did you move so fast?"

He chose to ignore both questions.

"She's a Labyrinth, not just a maze Taylor." Taylor bit back the sarcastic remark on her tongue and picked herself up off the floor, dusting herself off and crossing her arms once she was done.

"Look, can I get past please? In case you've forgotten, I'm not running this for the fun of it.

"No-one does any more" Taylor looked at him sharply, not sure if she'd actually heard what she thought she'd heard. But he stepped out of the way to let her pass, so she ran on. She paused a few meters from him and looked back.

"If you want someone to play, you should revise how you ask and what you use as stakes." Then she turned and continued running.

* * *

Jareth returned to his castle in silence. People from all over the world had run the Labyrinth, but not one of them had offered him that kind of advice. Then again only one of them had ever completed the run, so maybe that had something to do with it. He found himself praising Sarah for how she had raised the girl. The girl who was now running the Labyrinth and putting her freedom on the line for her mother. Either way, Sarah would go home, but Taylor.. Taylor was racing to save herself not her mother. And she knew it too.

"With how far she's gotten in such a short space of time, she seems to know a whole lot more that she's letting on." He mused aloud

"I used to tell her stories when she was a baby. My story mostly." Sarah's voice made him jump and he stood up from his throne to bow mockingly to her to hide it. She ignored his sarcasm and continued. "You were all she talked about for ages. She used to ask for that story every night." She smiled. Then the smile left, leaving pain in it's place. "She stopped asking when she was nine. Nine! When I asked her why she didn't want to hear the story anymore she said it was because her teacher had told her there was no such thing as the Goblin King, or goblins, that fairies were nice things in fairy stories she was too old to be reading anyway."

"Ive seen your daughters room Sarah. Everything in there relates to one fairy tale or another." Jareth replied, dropping back into his seat and motioning for Sarah to sit before him in the chair he'd whipped up from somewhere. He eyed it speculatively. Where _did_ they keep coming from?

"She collects things that appeal to her." Sarah shrugged. "The fact that they are from fairy stories doesn't mean anything to her. Not in the way it did to me. Sometimes i wonder if she knows they're fairy tale related at all." She sighed then sat in the seat she was offered. "You'll notice there were no items relating to your story? Our story.."

"So why did she accept my gift so readily then?" Jareth asked.

"She's a curious girl. She always has been. Plus she believes her dislike for glass spheres is down to her belief that fortune telling is a waste of time, and not because of you." She stood and shrugged. "This isn't fair Jareth. Ive no doubt that amuses you greatly, seeing as my daughter wont say it, but it's not. The stakes are too one sided and you know it. What do you gain from hurting my daughter?"

Sarah watched a flicker of pain slide across Jareths face and regretted her words almost instantly. But she couldn't take it back. However much she wanted to.

"What makes you think I derive anything from hurting Taylor?" His eyes hardened. "What makes you think I have any _reason_ to hurt her?" He slid fluidly out of his chair and leaned over her, forcing her to sit, then put his hands either side of her on the arm rests and met her eyes directly. She flinched and his gaze softened. "I would never physically harm you or your family. I swear Sarah."

"Jareth please, let her go home. I'll stay if that's what you want, but for god sake send Taylor home." Sarah begged. He dropped his head and moved backwards away from her.

"For years after I met you Sarah, I was convinced that you were _everything_ I wanted. The only minor problem with that was that you didn't want me."

"That's not a minor problem Jareth. That's a bloody great big one!" Sarah interrupted. Jareth crossed his arms and she held up her hands. "Shutting up."

"Thank you. The point is, I moved on." Jareth shrugged "So did you, though I do recall numerous parties in your room consisting of your friends from this world for a period of maybe three years."

"You were _spying _on me?" Sarah stood, outraged and Jareth rolled his eyes.

"You're thirty and you would still accuse me of spying on you?" Sarah glared at him pointedly "I was keeping an eye on you, yes. After you managed to complete the Labyrinth, even though you hated me.. I couldn't move on. So I watched you and waited for a chance to convince you to come back with me."

"I would never have done. I'm sorry Jareth.. I married Carl because I love him, not for money or any other silly reason. I never really hated you. You scared me yes. You stole away my brother and I was terrified that I wouldn't get him back, but I didn't hate you. But I didn't love you either."

* * *

"Moving.. God damn, why did it have to be moving?" Taylor span on the spot and screamed in despair. "I'm NEVER going to get out of here!"

"Of course you are." A voice behind her said. She turned and paused. In front of her were two cards, each with a head poking from the top and the bottom. One of the cards people had red hats, the other had blue. She wondered vaguely if they got up-side-down sick. Probably not.

"This.. was a dead end a moment ago. I know it was." She shook her head, realising how stupid that sounded all things considered. "Never mind. Who are you?"

"We're doors. One of us leads to the castle and the other leads to -" It paused to let the other join in "Dun dun dun... Certain death!"

"Joy. A riddle. Let me guess, one of you tell the truth, the other lies right?"

"Uhh.. yes actually."

"Great. Just peachy. Can't ANYONE come up with something ORIGINAL!" She was tempted to kick the wall, but figured she'd better not. She'd only hurt her toes. "Okay. This should be easy enough." She turned to the card in blue, cutting off their argument about who told the truth. "You. Would your friend say that this door led to the castle?"

It debated for a moment with its lower half then looked at her.

"No." She nodded and ran her hand through her hair. The problem with this kind of riddle was that she only got to ask one of them. That was annoying.

"Okay.. Lets think about this. One to the castle, one to death. Ive got a fifty fifty chance if i guess, but that's never the greatest odds.." She frowned and closed her eyes. The fact that she was in a hurry didn't help her here. She needed to get this done and get going, and thinking like this wasn't helping. "Oooh I have _no_ IDEA!" She muttered. "I so didn't want to guess but.." She sighed and resorted to the childs way of deciding. "Eeny meeny miney mo, round and round this maze I go, which way to choose I do not know, eeny meeny miney mo." She opened her eyes. She was pointing to the card on her right so she stepped forward and the card swung towards her. "Thanks." She said to it as she went through the door. "Now where?"


	9. Helped and helping

**TWO AT ONCE BECAUSE I LOVE YOU! :D Reviews make me smile. :D ( see?)**

The passage wound away in front of her for what seemed like miles and miles. It could, quite honestly, take her anywhere.

"But at least it's not moving." She sighed in relief and stepped forwards, then screeched as the ground dropped from beneath her and she fell. She wasn't fast enough to catch the side of the hole, but as she fell, she felt hands slowing her fall and gradually she stopped falling all together. "Ow. Uh.. Thanks.."

"You're welcome." Taylor yelped and the hands holding her dropped her

"Help!" She was caught again quite quickly.

"We are helping."

"We're helping hands." Taylor smiled at that.

"I uh, don't suppose you can help me get back up to the top of this hole?"

"Are you sure you want to go up? You could go down."

"Definatly up. I do not want to risk getting stuck in a hole I can't get out of. That would not be fun. We went on a school trip to a castle and that had dungeons built below it called oubliettes. Ive no doubt this place is the same, so yes, up please."

"She's smarter than the last one isn't she lads?" One voice commented. Laughter greeted this comment and Taylor was propelled towards the mouth of the hole. When she was close enough to the surface she reached up and, with the help of one last shove from the helping hands, pulled herself over the edge. She lay on the floor for a moment, then poked her head over the lip of the hole.

"Thanks!" She called. There was no answer, but she decided this was beyond her control. There was a good six feet between her now and the hands, and they probably couldn't hear her. "But manners cost nothing" She murmered as she pushed herself to her feet.

Sarah smiled. Her crystal was working again, so she had seen the incident with the hands. Taylor had picked the same door as she had, but she hadn't chosen to go down, so Sarah was at a loss as to what to expect now. She'd assumed the route would be the same, but apparantly not. The crystal went blank as Sarah watched her daughter thank the hands for helping her. She set it gently on the table beside the bed and sat down. She'd been given the run of the castle, but mostly she'd stayed in the room Jareth had proclaimed to be hers for the duration. She'd not heard from him since she'd openly told him she didn't love him, (he'd shrugged and left the room) and she suspected him of throwing a tantrum in some far part of the castle.

"Um.. Miss.. M'lord wants you to come to dinner." Sarah jumped and turned sharply, falling off the bed in the process.

"Don't do that!" She cried as she picked herself up. The goblin girl burst into tears and ran out of the door and down the hall. Sarah got to the door in time to see her jump out of one of the windows.

"Oh god.. JARETH!" She turned to run in the other direction and jumped. He was already there.

"She does that." Was his only comment.

Taylor was vaguely surprised that she hadn't run into anything that may or may not try to kill her, but she was glad. She was also surpised that the change from wall to hedge wasn't gradiated as one would expect, but sudden. One second there was stone wall on either side of her, and then there were hedges. She supposed it wasn't in Jareths nature to do things by halves, so why this might not be the case was unknown to her.

"Not that it matters, I've still got to get to the castle and I'm still lost." She muttered. She turned left sharply and wandered in that direction for a while, before turning right. She was surprised when she came upon two doors. She hadn't expected to get through this part so quickly. The last had seemed so long winded..

"It's very rude to stare!"

"Oh! I'm sorry... I was just thinking... I don't suppose it does any good to do too much of that here. The time limit and everything." The door knocker to her left mumbled something about the first being deaf as a post and Taylor laughed. "Here, let me.." She tugged on the ring and it fell free, allowing the knocker to speak freely.

"Thankyou. As I was saying, he can't hear you. He's deaf as a post."

"Mumble mumble mumble. Youre a wonderful conversationalist." Taylor ignore the knocker.

"So where do these go?"

"Don't know. I'm just the knocker, and no-one ever comes back to tell us." There was something wistful in his voice that made Taylor want to help him.

"The same four walls are pretty boring huh?" She spoke from the experience of locking herself in her room for three days and refusing to come out except for bathroom purposes. She figured it wasn't quite the same thing, but it was probably close. If she multiplied it by a million billion.

"You have no concept." He muttered. She frowned, thinking. "But I am not your concern. Pick a door."

"How about.. I take a peek round the door then tell you whats there?" She offered. The knocker looked surprised.

"You would do that?" He sounded so hopeful."Even though you're on a time limit?" She nodded. "Knock away."

"Jareth.. Are you sure she'll be okay? I don't..."

"I'm fine m'lady." The goblin girls voice made Sarah jump, but she breathed a sigh of relief that the girl was okay. The girl curtsied to Jareth then scuttled away. Sarah looked over at him, and glared upon seeing the badly hidden smirk.

"Come." He said, still grinning away. "There are some people here I'm sure you are dying to see."

"Who -?"

"SAWAH!" Sarah was pulled into a smotheringly furry hug.

"Ludo!" She cried, hugging him tightly before pulling away to look for her other underground friends. "Sir Didymus! Hoggle! Oh it's so good to see you!"

"'Tis good to see you too fair lady." The terrier smiled "The king told us you were here and demanded we pay you a visit."

"First order I've got ive liked." Hoggle muttered. Sarah laughed and hugged each of her friends in turn, before gracing Jareth with a bright smile and a tight hug.

"Thankyou."


End file.
